Members of the Rutherford County Commission's Public Safety Committee heard from the sheriff's department about the need for more deputies.

Patrol Lt. Chris Haynes fears the midnight shift when no deputies are available to answer critical calls.

It's a public safety issue," Lt. Haynes said. "We are one dramatic incident away from not having anybody."

Public Safety Committee members are expected to review Sheriff Robert Arnold's budget requests for more deputies in April.

Deputies responding to three victims suffering critical injuries and searching for the suspect earlySunday resulted in a lack of deputies to respond to other Rutherford County calls.

On one Friday night, deputies answered three traffic crashes with injuries and a robbery leaving no deputies available to respond to calls.

Deputies are busy answering calls for traffic crashes, assaults, domestic violence calls where at least two deputies must respond and transporting mental health patients out of the county to facilities. Seven deputies were out of the county transporting the mental health patients and prisoners anotherFriday night.

"We have to have some help," Lt. Haynes said. "It's a safety issue for your constituents. It's a public safety issue for my deputies."

Patrol Maj. Egon Grissom said the Sheriff's Office has not added enough deputies as the county's population expands. Based on the population, the Sheriff's Office should have 30 to 38 more deputies on patrol.

"If we maintain the professional office we should have, we have to have more people," Maj. Grissom said.